ABSTRACT
Stondon Place was in the parish of Stondon Massey. This chapter recounts the period William Byrd spent in Stondon. Byrd published only three collections of music after he moved to Stondon. Two were printed by Thomas East, but the third was printed, after East's death, by his son-in-law Thomas Snodham, the assignee of W. Barley. A complaint made by Byrd to the Queen about forcible entry into a house at St Peter's Ampney (also known as Eastington) in Gloucestershire appears to be one of the fictitious cases of forcible entry. This is borne out by a set of interrogatories that concentrates on the history of the mill's ownership. It is hard to say how far Byrd remained involved in the duties of the Chapel Royal in King James's reign. Although he continued to be certified as resident at court for tax purposes, there is no more than a single reference to his participation as a performer.
